Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Sen.-elect John Curtis wants to get onto the Environment and Public Works Committee next year.
Why it matters: The assignment would let Curtis, a moderate on energy and climate issues, stay active in the Senate in discussions about the IRA and climate-friendly trade policy.
Driving the news: "I think EPW would be a nice complement to Utah," Curtis told a group of reporters outside the House chamber last week.
- He's also interested in the Banking and Commerce committees, though he noted he doesn't have full control over where he lands.
- Sen. Mike Lee is likely to take over the chair of Energy and Natural Resources, which Curtis said "checks that box" for his state and would likely preclude him from being assigned there.
Between the lines: Curtis was one of the 18 House Republicans who signed the letter earlier this year urging GOP leadership to keep the IRA's energy tax provisions.
- "There's some parts of the IRA that large amounts of capital have gone into, that we have to be very careful with and the signals we're sending to the market," he said.
